Primary target over those years has been smallmouth, and if i exclude lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits, my spinner bait and lipped crankbait smallmouth numbers are extremely low and not by lack of trying in the early years. Did i fish them too fast? too slow? too shallow? too deep? Your guess is as good and probably better than mine.

One thing i know for certain, my level of success is well below freezing.

I agree once again, lipless are very good for me. I also fish mostly for smallmouth. Not on purpose, they just seem to be what ends up on the hook most often

All they know is...Something has to be better than what I own so tell me what it is.,.But no more than 100.00

I try this to do that, but it doesn't work for me, what am I doing wrong?

What is the best line for the this bait but it has to be cheap.

Or what color is best...Why is my friend better than me...

After a while it gets redundant and sometimes I purposely don't give an opinion because it was already posted 1/2 doz times.

But then I feel bad because at one point I was just like him.

UGH!!!

Mike

Mike,

Never has anyone so perfectly encapsulated my lot in this world of fishing!!! I know enough to be dangerous,(mainly to the trees and rocks, less dangerous to the fish!) I find this forum fun and I am sure that once I get out on the water I will have plenty of moments when I try something that I saw on here and I will think, ah, now I get it! But in the mean time I do hope that a lot of you long time anglers and posters who actually do seem to know what you are talking about, keep talking about it, even if it is basically the same thing someone else said. Somebody with a head as hard as me might need to hear it 3 or 4 times for it to sink in!

I generally try to think about WHY a person is asking. The whole desert island bring only 3 lures just screams "what should my favorite bait be." A picture and a "How would you fish this?" I wouldn't, unless I have a map. Show me the map, or at least describe it with a little detail, and I'll answer. "Best" rod for $150? Pretty much any of them. $25 for a lure is ridiculous. Is it? Those are the same people that blow through $8 bags of senkos like they're candy. Speaking of, "What's your favorite color ______?" "I don't catch fish on jigs. I don't fish them hardly at all, because they don't work for me. Any tips?" Yeah, fish it more. These are all questions that point to not enough time on the water, and not realizing, while there are certainly some good shortcuts to getting started catching bass, nothing can replace time on the water. So, many of my answers will be targeted at trying to get that person on the water to answer the question his/herself.

Great reply. 100% correct and couldn't be put any better.

I love this site and there is a lot of good info. Can ask just about anything. I've fished long enough and will never be posting about fishing for what color is best, is a Rapala better than Bandit. What are your favorite soft baits for River fishing, what are your favorite topwater lures and why?

These things are all subjective and a lot of the questions are to fill some guys tackle box to take away trial and error as most of us guys have learned on our own. It's done quite often here. You could fill a tackle box for someone but it means nothing. Does not guarantee fish. Time put into it and confidence will.

I realize someone new has to start some where. And you are new to something a short while unless you just don't get out enough. But you can do some of the homework yourself and post it like an opinion. At least try than ask. I could tell what my 3 or 4 favorite baits are for fishing fall clear lower water conditions in the river. Ones that I kick butt with the last few seasons. But will it help??? Probably not???

Most guys would have a different approach. Most might think my color preference is not the same as theirs. There is no right or wrong.

Exactly, and that is why the more experienced anglers on this site will ask the poster about species, location, depth, cover, temperature etc. so that they may give their best possible "suggestion only"!

The information provided is a best guess based on the information provided ..... A Starting Point if you will.

Ask 10 different bass anglers a question and you get 12 different answers

This sums it up right here. I started a thread last year about this. You read about how this pro does this, and this TV show recommends this lure at this time of the year. It's been said on here plenty of times it seems that the fishing industry is more about catching anglers than helping them catch fish.

I used to fall for this (and probably still do to an extent). I used to think I had to have 20 rods on the deck, some with this pound test, some with that pound test, and braid for others. Then I needed to stock up on 15 jigs in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, and 1oz in 10 different colors. Same with lipless cranks, spinner baits, and everything else under the sun. Plus I needed this rod for that, and this year ration for this presentation, because these pros said so. I now take what I have and make it work. I can't tell you my gear ratios, I can only tell you what 3 rods are built for, the rest I have no clue but they do what I need them to do.

I've simplified things quite a bit and it's made things a lot better. My experience might be better if I had a rod that was made for worms specifically, or spinner baits, paired with the right gear ratio reel but I don't know any different so it works for me.

I take everything I learn here and read and soak it all up store it in my thick skull and adapt it to my fishing style and my preferences and try to make it work. It may not be right but it works for me. I enjoy fishing and that's really all that matters.

I also admit to having a bit of extra info: location. I can get a location by clicking a link, and a map pops up. It's part of our admin tools. I often use to get a little more insight about the member. Location can really help.

I try to answer so everyone can understand. Shore fishermen and boaters. I’m your pro shore fisherman lol. Kidding. If we don’t learn something new on every trip we not paying attention.

the bottom line is there are no short cuts to catching fish. I can or we can give advice but the location dictates on how to fish it with what. It’s pointing them in the right direction then they learn on their own.

staying motivated, staying focused, clear your mind of what’s going on in your life and apply your skills you have learned so far.

There are some really experienced folks here @A-Jay@J Francho@WRB@Bluebasser86 Among so many others who have responded to my questions. That input has transferred to better fishing on my part.

I have noticed on some specific post people didnt read read about what I was asking or just felt like they needed to throw something in, and on occasion were a little condescending. I was able to move past that. This is an excellent site and all the input just makes everyone better. Thanks again!!

I caught a fish once on a spinner bait at midnight, 3/4th's moon, gentle breeze. So I'll throw it again every time in those exact conditions.

I fished next to a guy with a spinne rbait once, I fished a crank bait and he out fished me 3/1.

I never throw spinner bait's, I prefer crank bait's.

I see a lot of answers like this that are completely circumstantial and situational throughout the forums and I admit I am definitely guilty of doing it from time to time. While past experiences can guide us and give is a general direction or starting point for what the fish might want they in no way dictate the new situation. For the first response, you can throw 10 different baits at that exact time in those exact conditions and that fish might have hit it. It could of been right by its head and he bit it out of aggression. For the second one, was your retrieve too fast? Too slow? Where the fish line shy and he had a lighter, or flouro line on while you fished straight braid? Was your spinner bait tuned to swim straight, or was his crank swimming a bit sideways and that's what made the fish attracted to it? And finally the preference answer. Why is it your preference? How experienced are you at throwing the one which you don't prefer? Are you even throwing the one you don't prefer in situations for it to be successful, or retrieving it in proper variations that would make fish actually interested?

We have an incredible group of guys with a vast knowledge of fishing, and for the most part we are giving fairly generalized answers to fairly generalized questions. I think that's why we have so many "what is the best...?" lure/rod/reel/plastic/hard body/soft body etc etc. That and the lack of use of the search function. I also significantly agree with the concept that a lot of folks are looking for someone to validate the answer they already have in their mind and shoot down viable options. I don't think our generalizations, or the vague questions necessarily hurt the community, or fisherman. They will look at the various opinions, and try a couple of them until they hit pay dirt. In a way without being there to read the situation with them I think that's probably the best route. Every day you hit the water could be different. Cold fronts, wind differential, rain, the list goes on and on of what could change in a single day when it comes to water.

But let me get off my soap box. Until we can teleport to each other to help each other in person, this is the best we can do. And thank all of y'all who have helped me over the years learning new techniques, and coming up with various ideas for storage, line tying, and just about any and everything else imaginable.

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I also admit to having a bit of extra info: location. I can get a location by clicking a link, and a map pops up. It's part of our admin tools. I often use to get a little more insight about the member. Location can really help.

This is golden. I don't understand why some have to be so secretive about where they hail from. Sometimes that can be the key to getting a useful answer.

It helps me to focus on the responses more than the original post sometimes; and, I always consider the background and previous responses of the responders first.

I worked for a senior professor who was very picky about who we cited in our papers: examples and findings generated by fellow experts who had earned his respect through high quality work were always given preference over those produced by those known for doing mediocre work.

The same concept applies to reading through the threads and interpreting the responses; I've learned over time that even if a poorly-framed or "throw away" question is tossed out there to start a thread, it might still be worth scrolling through to see what kernels of wisdom have been left behind by one of the "masters."

Responses by WRB, Catt, (and many others) get careful consideration from me, even if they are responding to a poor quality question or request for help, and even if the responder doesn't exactly answer the question I think is being asked.

So I guess what I am saying is that it always helps to weed through the responses to pick out the ones from the anglers that respond with high quality input, and also to develop a sense for who consistently puts out responses worth reading.

Been fly fishing entire life, started bass fishing in 2016 when I purchased a business on the edge of a killer river. Initially, I read, read and read some more here and other places. I even asked the typical newbie type question or two.

One thing that does jump out at me on replies to the type of questions highlighted in this thread is the following. It isn't often a poster worrying about the lure is told to get better at casting. My experience since picking this up has been the more I practice my casting techniques and accuracy the more fish I'm catching. Granted I'm lucky that since 2016 I'm spending almost 200 days a year now with a rod in my hand if only for an hour and am progressing quickly on casting. But even if only in the back yard or a soccer field practice casting like a fiend. I also will spend a little time each outing in the boat dedicated to strictly boat control. A little wind and/or river current and the best lure for the current situation ain't doing squat if you can't get into position to even cast.

As a quick example. Mid January a huge scrub bush thing got hung up in the tules where I'm at. It had a massive root ball and 6 inch thick trunk. For a week straight I caught a fish a day under that root ball on everything from a spinnerbait, wacky worm, creature and a paddletail. It was a relativity technical cast to get the lure over the root ball, between the bush branches and tules but if you got a lure to fall in that spot it seemed like it didn't matter what lure, a bass smacked it.

At this point in my personal journey of bass fishing I'm of the believe that being able to cast very well is every bit as important as what is tied on the end of your line.